Science reveals how total solar eclipse impacts bird behaviour

Science reveals how total solar eclipse impacts bird behaviour (Image: Canva)

On 8 April 2024, the Great American Eclipse placed portions of the central and eastern United States in almost four minutes of daytime darkness. Scientists have found out that this short eclipse has had a drastic effect on the behaviour of birds, with numerous species responding as though it was a new dawn.

Birds are Affected Unpredictably

Some species were quieted during the eclipse, whereas others had augmented their vocal activity. Interestingly, the robins sang six times more than normal and the barred owls called four times as often as usual.

The unusual behaviour (also known as false dawn chorus) was immediately followed by the Sun returning to view and was interpreted to indicate that the eclipse had re-set the biological clocks of the birds.

Research by Citizen Science and Technology

This work, coordinated by Liz Aguilar, used citizen science via the SolarBird smartphone application, where it counted almost 10,000 observations spanning five thousand kilometres. Also, independent recording units found approximately 100,000 bird vocalisations prior to, throughout, and subsequently following the eclipse.

The BirdNET, an AI system, was used to identify species and analyse behaviour change, as evaluated by the researchers.

Observations of Nature and Wildlife

Among 52 species found, 29 exhibited a significant variation in vocal activity. It also sheds some light on the role that sudden light shifts can play in shaping wildlife behaviour. This is one of few studies to look at how internal clocks are changed in response to environmental conditions in birds.

Understanding the Impact

The study highlights the significance of light in controlling avian behaviour. It also shows that integrating technology with citizen science is worthwhile to research wildlife in an unprecedented way.